Tomorrow
by sydneyisgrumpy
Summary: Akito is sick; Hatori tells her that she is dying tomorrow. Takes a look into the little God's complex relationships with the other zodiac members, including going back into their childhood. Each zodiac member will have a chapter dedicated to their past, and finally telling their precious God goodbye.
1. Chapter 1

**Author Note:** This is chapter one. I plan on having a detailed chapter for each zodiac member as they tell Akito goodbye. I'm still working on finishing those. This uses a mix between the lore from the manga, anime, and some personal headcanons. Some things aren't accurate, but they're overlook-able. This is kind of a cluster fuck. I think you'll enjoy it if you give it a chance. Eh.

* * *

_It is complete now, two ends of time are neatly tied. A one way street, she's walking to the end of the line. There she meets the faces she keeps in her heart and mind. They say, 'goodbye.'_

* * *

"Tomorrow, Akito, you're going to die."

Silence. A deathly silence fills the room and it's suffocating. Akito's dark black eyes slowly glide over, glaring daggers into the doctor. Hatori could feel Akito's icy eyes bore into him and he dutifully kept his eyes lowered onto the floor. The dragon couldn't look at her now, not after having to utter those words to her.

Akito studied Hatori's face angrily, taking note of every flaw she could find. She could see a few grey hairs mixed in with the dark bangs covering his eye. There were winkles beginning to form under and around Hatori's eyes, and she knew she was the cause of his premature aging. With Akito's illness growing progressively worse, Hatori had almost no time to himself. The doctor slept maybe three days a week, Akito noticed. Not that she cared. This was his job, if not for compensation, then he should do this out of love. Akito was dying. Their god was dying, and everyone knew this day would come. This was the dragon's job, to stay by her side until the end.

Which, Akito bitterly noted, was coming soon.

"Did you hear me?" Hatori whispered, his voice raspy, but calm. Akito's lack of words was beginning to worry him.

"Say it again."

Akito's frail tone sent a shiver down Hatori's spine. He sighed.

"Tomorrow, Akito, you're going to die." He breathed, looking down at the bedspread covering Akito. The tiny god had tubes going in both of her nostrils to help her breathe. A machine next to her that kept track of her heart beat beeped quietly. She was pale, so pale that the blue veins around her petite face were visible. Her body was like glass and paper, so thin and frail, Hatori was often scared to touch her. Akito's hair had begun falling out, leaving small patches around her scalp. The god was dying. Dying an undignified, slow, painful death.

Akito frowned, holding up her hand weakly. She barely had the energy to do so. She studied her long, bony fingers with disdain, gazing at the back of her hand. Her mortality was beginning to bother her. This was it, then. Her caretaker had finally given her an expiration date. Tomorrow.

"You sound like your father did that day." Akito sneered softly, her hand still held out in front of her. She glanced over at the doctor, wondering if he remembered like she did.

* * *

Kureno stood off on the corner, his arm wrapped around Ritsu. Both being only seven, they were frightened of what was happening around them. Ritsu cried softly, not understanding the situation. He held onto Kureno, wanting to go hide.

"It's okay, Ritsu." Kureno whispered, holding his only friend close. He glanced over at the hospital bed on the other side of the room from them. "Akira is really sick, but it's okay. Don't be scared."

A nine year old Shigure stood at the end of the bed, staring at Akira, their current god. He frowned and shifted uncomfortably, wishing Ayame was with him. The snake was bedridden down the hall with his asthma. Shigure sighed, scratching his head before looking next to him. There stood little Akito, who had just turned five. She sniffled, using her sleeve to wipe the tears out of her eyes.

"Mr. Sohma, is daddy dying?" Akito asked softly, looking over at the tall doctor she so often avoided. While waiting her answer, she looked over at Shigure. The dog grabbed her hand and held it, hoping to comfort her.

Hatori's father removed the stethoscope from his ears and wrapped it around his neck. His cold eyes glanced over at the small, dark haired girl and he nodded.

"Tomorrow Akira is going to die." He said firmly, not an ounce of emotion in his voice.

Young Hatori, also nine, shuddered slightly at his father's tone. Hatori hated his father's voice. It frightened him. He swore he would never sound so cruel. The tiny dragon looked up at his dad, who he was standing next to. Tugging on his sleeve, he asked softly, "We can't save him, dad?"

Hatori's father sighed, annoyed by his son's ridiculous question.

"Hatori, the god of the zodiac will always die young. This is the rule. This is how it has been for decades. As the dragon, you will take over my role as you get older. You will become Akito's protector and you will stay by her side until she also perishes." He said, calmly and placidly. The man turned his attention back to the frail Akira currently asleep on the hospital bed. "It is up to you, children. You all are here right now to watch him die, just as they will all watch you die, Akito. Pay close attention. The kamisama must be surrounded by his juunishi in the Sohma estate as he passes on. You all are here to say goodbye."

Shigure scowled, looking over at his friend, Hatori. So, the dragon was supposed to be the one to protect the god? Then what was Shigure supposed to do? He was the one who remembered the dream, he was the one who cried, he was the one who waited impatiently for Akito to be born. He was her protector, not the dragon. Until this moment, Shigure always considered Hatori to be a close friend. However, a deep jealousy was beginning to grow in the pit of his stomach. The dog frowned, trying to keep his temper in check around Akira. Squeezing Akito's hand gently, he looked over at her. More tears were rolling down her cheeks.

Akito nodded politely at Hatori's father, knowing that was indeed her fate. She sniffled, moving to wipe her eyes again. Akito could hear Kureno still soothing Ritsu behind them.

It went silent for a moment.

There was a soft gasp, and all eyes darted towards the hospital bed. Akira coughed a bit, his eyes fluttering open. The man saw their current dragon, along with his young son. He saw Shigure, the problem child, their next dog, standing at the foot of his bed. His eyesight was going, but he was sure he could see the rooster and the monkey off in the corner as well. His eyes landed on Akito, his daughter. His beloved daughter. The one who would take his throne.

A smile slowly spread across his pale face, and Akira held out his shaky hand to Akito. "Precious, come here to daddy." He breathed, his voice wavering pathetically.

Akito smiled sadly and nodded, holding her arms out for him. She toddled over and Hatori's father helped lift her onto the bed. Akito crawled over to his side and curled up to him, resting her head on his chest.

"Daddy, I don't want you to go. I don't want to be god. I don't want to be left alone with mommy. Please…" She begged softly, looking up at her father.

"Shh," Akira cooed, raising a shaky hand to gently stroke her short black hair. Her beautiful black hair, just like her mother's, that he so adored. "Daddy has to go, precious. You will be a wonderful god. Everyone will love you." He whispered, choking on his words as tears started rolling down his cheeks.

Akito frowned and moved to hide her face in his chest, sobbing quietly. She didn't have any more words, she was too upset to speak.

Shigure watched them, staying quiet. His hands clenched into fists at his sides and he scowled. Seeing Akito cry was making his blood boil.

Hatori glanced away from Akito and Akira, feeling wrong for having to witness such an intimate moment between the father and daughter. He looked over at Shigure, wondering why he looked so angry. Hatori sighed, positive that he wouldn't hear the end of it once they were allowed to leave. He was sure that Shigure would talk his ear off later. The dragon just hoped that Shigure would cheer up by the time they went to visit Ayame.

"I don't want to be here when he dies, 'Reno," Ritsu whispered, feeling his heart rate increase and his anxiety begin to kick in.

"We have to, though." Kureno offered, though deep down, he agreed. He wasn't sure how exactly to feel about Akito becoming their new god, but Akira had been so nice and loving, he thought Akito would probably be the same way. Kureno sighed, keeping his attention on Ritsu to avoid watching Akito cling to her dying father.

Hatori's father cleared his throat. "That is enough, Akito. You must let your father rest." He stated coldly, moving to remove Akito from Akira's side.

Akira frowned, but nodded. He understood that it was time for Akito to go for now. Hatori's father had been a friend and close confidant for so many years, he knew to trust the cold dragon's judgement. Akito tensed up and began throwing a fit as Hatori's father removed her. She kicked and screamed at him, demanding to stay with her father in his bed. Her request went unanswered.

"Hatori, take Akito back to her mother." The elder dragon ordered, setting Akito feet first onto the ground. He nudged her roughly towards his son, them turned his attention back to his dying friend.

Hatori nodded silently, reaching over to grab her hand. She sniffled, but wasn't reluctant. Hatori left the room, pulling her behind him to go down the hall to Ren's room.

As they left, Shigure glared at the two, cutting his eyes over at them. He huffed once they were gone, crossing his arms. Shigure wanted to be by her side, but it was the dragon who was the chosen guardian. Not him. It was eating him up inside. Why Hatori? Turning, he stomped out of the room and down the hall to Ayame's room, needing to vent.

Kureno suddenly realized that he and Ritsu were the only two left in the room now. He felt uncomfortable. "Ritsu, we can probably go play outside now. I'll push you on the swing, okay?" Kureno offered quietly, moving to hold Ritsu's hand.

The monkey sniffled a tiny bit, but smiled. Kureno was a good friend. Clasping his hand, Ritsu started to follow Kureno out of the room. "Can we play dress-up afterwards?" He asked sheepishly, expecting Kureno to say no.

"Yeah," Kureno nodded, walking him down the hall to playground outside. "You want to play the princess again and I'll be the prince?" He asked, suddenly stumbling a bit as he tripped over his own feet. Kureno frowned, feeling embarrassed. His cheeks flushed.

Ritsu gasped a bit, but was thankful Kureno kept his balance. "Are you okay? Are you sure? Positive? Okay, good. Um… Yeah, I'd… I'd like to play that game." He said softly, beginning to feel better already as they walked out into the brisk, autumn air.

"I don't get it," Shigure growled softly, pacing in front of Ayame's bed. "He doesn't even like her that much. Everytime I try to play with her, she's always looking for Ha'ri. She always climbs on him, wanting him to carry her everywhere. What about me? Huh? I could carry her." Shigure mumbled immaturely, pausing his stride. He glanced over at Ayame, who was watching patiently.

The snake was propped up in his bed, his hands neatly folded in his lap. His silver hair was about shoulder length, it was beautiful. He coughed a bit, feeling weak. His asthma had been particularly bad this week, with the cold weather outside. He offered a small, but genuine smile to his canine friend. "Akito and you are destined to be bound together forever. You're two star crossed lovers, like in a beautiful, romantic play. You'll have to do something heroic, and then the girl will be yours." He said brightly, despite his illness. Ayame reached a hand out for Shigure, wanting his friend close. "So, don't be upset, 'Gure. She loves you."

Shigure uncrossed his arms, letting them hang limply at his sides. He sighed, listening to Ayame's tender words. The snake was a romantic, but Shigure knew better. Life wasn't like a romance play. Life was cold, hard, a struggle. He may have been only nine, but he knew that fact well.

"Okay." He finally settled down, moving to grab Aya's hand. He climbed up onto the bed and sat next to his pale friend. "I love you, Aya. Thanks for trying to make me feel better."

Ayame smiled warmly, reaching over to pat Shigure's leg. "I love you too."

Shigure smiled back for a moment, before the solemn look returned to his features. "Akira's going to die tomorrow. Doctor Sohma said so. We all have to watch him die, you included. I'll hold your hand if you get scared, though. Ritsu was crying like a little baby."

"I would like to hold your hand, please. Shigure, don't be so mean about Ritsu." Ayame said softly, his little hand moving to place over his heart. "It's not nice."

Shigure gave a nonchalant shrug, not really caring if he talked badly about his fellow zodiac members. "Anyway, I just can't stand Ha'ri anymore. He suddenly started acting so weird. He won't play anymore, he says he has to study all the time. Which is crap, because I always see him with Akito. I think we should kick him out of our friendship circle. I think we're way better as a duo." He said proudly, putting his hands on his hips.

Ayame didn't say a word, he remained silent. When Shigure glanced over to see why the snake didn't have a single thing to say, he saw his golden eyed gaze was somewhere else. Following his line of sight, Shigure turned his head to see Hatori standing in the doorway.

Shigure frowned, wondering how long Hatori had been there. He crossed his arms, not saying a word. Whether the silence was out of anger or embarrassment, only Shigure would ever know.

Hatori studied Shigure for a moment, then looked over at Ayame, who's eyes were practically begging him for forgiveness. Hatori's face didn't give away an ounce of emotion, but inside, he felt hurt. He kind of wanted to cry. Although Shigure could be irritating, Hatori thought the two of them were close. The dog was upset that Hatori was the chosen one to watch over the god, as all the dragons before him had been, but didn't Shigure understand that Hatori didn't want this position? Akito was needy, clingy. Hatori didn't want this as his fate, but he had to silently accept it or his father would lash out at him, hit him, or even worse… Ignore him. Shigure was his best friend, didn't he understand that?

"Excuse me." Hatori said softly, looking down at the pale blue button up shirt his mother dressed him in earlier that morning. He turned, deciding to give Ayame and Shigure some alone time, since he obviously wasn't welcome.

Shigure smirked a bit, taking him leaving as a win for him. He won that battle. He crossed his arms smugly, looking over at Ayame for praise.

Ayame frowned, coughing a bit more before pulling away from Shigure. "That… That wasn't nice, 'Gure. I don't like when you act this way." He said softly, feeling his heart ache. If he wasn't bedridden, he would've chased after Hatori to apologize on Shigure's behalf. "You need to go say sorry."

Shigure rolled his eyes, but he could hear Ayame's hurt tone. He never wanted to hurt Ayame. The snake was too special to him. He crawled over and pushed a few locks of silver hair out of his face. Leaning up the dog planted a small kiss on Ayame's forehead. "I'll go say sorry right now, okay?"

"Thank you." Ayame whispered, smiling.

* * *

Hatori shuddered slightly, not enjoying the memories that were flooding back to him. That day changed all of them, changed all of the relationships between them. Shigure broke his promise to Ayame, he did never apologize. Hatori never questioned it. He silently accepted Shigure's jealousy, never holding it against him. Even to this day, Hatori and Shigure had a difficult time communicating calmly with each other. They spoke in short, sardonic jabs at each other's choices, almost always passing judgement. They never fought, but it remained tense between them. It was so common place after all those years, Hatori knew no other way to speak to the dog. It was their relationship. It wasn't perfect, but Hatori found comfort in knowing Shigure would always be there to tease him and he would always scold him right back.

Akito's keen eyes caught the doctor's shudder, and she frowned. After Hatori took her to Ren that day, Akito was forced to spend the day being berated with insults from her mother. Ren spent the night accusing Akito of being the reason that Akira was dying. Ren beat her, slapped her, scarred her… Akito dealt with the pain. Physical pain was nothing compared to the emotional pain she was feeling over losing her father. Hatori tended to her wounds some hours later, and he seemed tense. At five, even Akito wondered if something happened between Hatori and Shigure. They both ignored each other for a few days, then when they decided to be friends again (thanks to Ayame's encouragement), things just weren't the same. Nothing was the same.

"You remember it as well as I do, I see." Akito muttered, lowering her hand. Her head rolled to the side looking away from him. "Well? When will the others be here to watch this pathetic dog lie down and die?"

"I will begin calling and gathering them here tonight." Hatori reported, his voice cold and emotionless. He walked over and reached out, pressing the back of his hand to Akito's forehead. The dragon ignored her hiss of protest, keeping his hand firm on her. "Your fever is very high. You need to rest." He stated, glancing down at her.

"Tch," Akito mumbled, scoffing at him. What was the point in checking her fever? What was the point of resting? Her death would creep up on her tomorrow, why even bother with the motions today? She rolled over onto her side weakly, careful as to not pull out her tubes, patches, or IV. Reluctantly, she closed her eyes. Akito was too weak to continue fighting off Hatori's doctoral advice.

The doctor sighed softly, relieved that Akito cooperated. He turned on his heel, needing to start making some phone calls.


	2. Chapter 2

"Finally." Akito sneered, rolling onto her side to face the door. Her dark eyes greedily glanced from head to toe of the shadowy figure in the doorway. "Well? Are you going to come in or stand there and taunt me?" She growled, sitting up a bit. The loose red robe wrapped around her began to slip down her shoulder a bit, causing a slight chill as her flesh was now exposed to the cold, winter air hovering in the room.

"I could never taunt you." A smooth voice purred, causing the tiny god to feel a shiver run down her spine. The moonlight shining through the window illuminated the figure as he stepped forward, sauntering towards her at a painstakingly slow speed.

Akito frowned, her brows furrowing together. "If not here to taunt, then you are definitely here to tease me… Mutt." She muttered, crossing her arms as she laid back into her pillow. Without even looking, she could feel the bed shift slightly under his weight, as her visitor crawled onto her bed. Her eyes stayed glued to the ceiling, not wanting to look at him.

"Teasing? Yes, I suppose that is what I would call it." The man chuckled softly, sitting obediently at the end of her bed for a moment. "Akito." He finally breathed after a long pause, reaching out to stroke her leg.

Akito gasped as a warm hand wrapped around her ankle. "Shigure," She moaned softly, her head tilting back. Quickly snapping out of her dazed state, she sat up to glare at him. "Come here."

Shigure grinned, enjoying that tiny reaction he just elicited from her. "As you wish." He purred, his tone playful. The dog crawled up to her side, laying next to her. He propped himself up on his elbows, looking down at her. His eyes wandered over her robe covered body, not holding eye contact with her.

Akito rolled her eyes, not amused by his libido currently. Deciding to let it go for the time being, she laid back in offering to him. "Just get on with it." She whispered, eyes back to the ceiling.

Before Akito could even finished her sentence, the dog lowered himself onto his prey. Akito's head nearly started spinning as before she even knew it, his hands were fluttering about her body wildly. She could barely register what he was doing. It was pretty dark in her room, only a bit of moonlight shone in from the window, dimly lighting it.

Her robe was off and discarded. The tiny god wasn't even sure how Shigure was able to undress her so quickly, but he was. His wet mouth was planted on her neck, sucking and biting with fervor. Shigure's hot breath was warming up her body, and the panting dog devoured her.

Shigure wasted no time in kissing his way down to her breasts, greedily lapping at her nipples, before sucking and lightly biting them. Her breasts were almost non-existent. Not only was she just a frail girl, but Akito often bound her breasts to hide her gender from the rest of the clan. This resulted in her being nearly flat chested. Akito was a bit insecure about it, however, Shigure didn't even bat an eyelash. Despite her breasts being small, he found her chest quite appealing. Her rosy pink nipples drove him wild and he could play with them all day if he was allowed.

He wasn't, however, so the dog knew he had to drink his fill while he was here visiting for the night. After overstaying his welcome, Akito shoved his head away from her chest, glaring at him. She was panting, trying to steady her breath. It felt nice, and during the moment, the god had been arching her back and panting his name, but now… She was ready for him to move on. She didn't like when Shigure focused too much on one spot of her body. It was over stimulating. "Lower." Akito ordered, her cold eyes staring unwaveringly into his.

Shigure smirked, giving only a nod in response. His wet tongue traced down her stomach to her apex, stopping just above between her legs. His trail of saliva was shining in the moonlight on her stomach and he felt a heat in the pit of his stomach start to form. Desire was taking hold.

Akito had laid back in the pillow, tilting her head back. She didn't enjoy watching this show, watching Shigure get lost in passion. He was a stupid male, thinking with only his libido. She pitied him, though the sensations were pleasurable. "Go on." She mumbled rolling her head to the side as she felt his hot breath on her most sensitive flesh.

Shigure obeyed her order. Diving in between her legs, the dog of the zodiac lapped lovingly at her clitoris, his hands gripping tightly onto her thighs. Raising her legs up, he shifted them onto his shoulders so he could delve deeper into her. Her taste, her scent… It was driving him wild. It was maddening. His animal instincts were kicking in at the smell of her arousal, her desire… Shigure sucked her clit into his mouth, rolling his tongue along it before letting go to move down to her opening. His tongue pushed inside her, invading her. This was heaven. His erection was throbbing, dripping, and was currently pressed into her sheets for the time being, leaving a small puddle of pre-come in it's wake.

Akito, to no surprise, was moaning and squirming at Shigure's ministrations. He knew exactly what she liked after all these years of sleeping together. Her back was arched high and her hands were buried deep into his dark hair. She didn't dare look between her legs, she just accepted his affections. As his tongue sped up, she was calling his name, on the edge of her orgasm. Panting, she made the decision to sit up a bit. Akito wasn't sure when the next time she would be able to indulge with Shigure like this would be, so she decided to drink her fill as well.

Sitting up, she could barely see him in the moonlight between her legs. A sleepy, pleasured smile formed on her lips and she reached down, brushing his hair back out of his face. Suddenly, something was wrong.

Barely, by the moonlight alone, she noticed something different. Shigure's eyes were normally black, but as the figure down between her legs looked up at her…

"Shigure, what-" Akito demanded, snapping out of her pleasured state. She tugged at his hair, pulling his face away from between her legs.

"Shigure?" The voice calmly asked, sitting up a bit.

Grey eyes met with Akito's black ones and she recoiled a bit. "Hatori?"

Hatori frowned, wondering why Akito seemed so confused. She seemed pleased with his actions just moments ago, why was she stopping him now? "Have… Have My efforts displeased you?" He asked softly, his tone a bit wounded. The dragon sat up, his white button up shirt askew.

Akito took a moment to collect her thoughts. She was positive that it was Shigure who entered her room, and she was positive it was him between her legs just moments ago. Was her illness beginning to take her mind from her as well?

After a moment, she shook her head no and reached out for the dragon. "No, you have done nothing wrong. I was mistaken." She said weakly, laying back onto the bed. "Just continue on."

Hatori gave a small nod and began unbuttoning his shirt. Tossing it aside, his cold hands reached down to unbutton and unzip his brown slacks. Slipping them off, the pale and svelte man slowly climbed on top of Akito, not wasting any time. If the god gave the order to continue, he would. Whether it was his name coming from her lips or not.

Lining up with her entrance, Hatori shut his eyes tightly and buried his face in her neck as he sunk himself into her slowly. A soft moan escaped his lips, and he quickly regained his composure. Akito had shown in the past that she didn't like when he made noise during their time together, so he usually remained quiet.

Akito was a bit taken out of the moment, still a bit consumed by her confusion. Either way, she couldn't deny that the dragon's length and girth was pleasurable inside her. He had been secretly servicing her this way for almost as long as she had been sleeping with Shigure. The dog was often not around as he moved out on his own so early on, so during the times he was gone, she accepted Hatori into her arms. The dragon was a decent replacement, though she didn't enjoy his style of making love. She knew Hatori didn't love her, or even really liked her, to be quite honest. However, the dragon struggled to make every time they slept together loving. He would kiss her, or stroke her hair, and it made Akito uncomfortable and furious. This was never making love, it was just sex. Meaningless sex. Hatori didn't seem to understand that, he strained himself to make the act not be as repulsive as he knew Akito found it to be.

Akito moaned a bit, only to please him. She figured she might as well let him think he was doing a decent job. Her long nails dragged down his back, wanting to scar him a little bit, to draw blood. This made the dragon shudder as he picked up speed, thrusting into her more quickly. His face was still hidden in her neck, trying to keep quiet and get this over with.

Akito allowed this to continue for awhile. She shut her eyes and tilted her head back, holding onto Hatori tightly. She never could tell if she pitied him, or if he pitied her more during their intimacy like this. Did he service her like this out of obligation, and pity? Akito never shed her guilt over blinding him in his left over that daft assistant he was so fond of. She accepted him into her arms out of pity as well. The poor dragon had so much tension that built up over time, and god knows he didn't have any other women in his life. Letting him spill his seed into her a few times a month was the least she could do for the poor, lonely, pathetic doctor.

Hatori was having a harder and harder time stifling himself now, his orgasm was close. He kept quiet, however, not wanting to upset her. He did kiss her neck a few times, but stopped when Akito made a low growling noise of disgust at his affection.

Akito was lost in thought for a awhile, until she started to feel something trickling down her neck, where Hatori's face was. She shifted a bit, giving him another growl. The wetness continued, pooling into her collar bone. Akito wasn't happy.

"Quit drooling on me, you disgusting pig." She spat, digging her nails into his shoulder to get him to stop thrusting into her. He was annoying her. Hatori stopped dutifully, not understanding.

Akito frowned and grabbed Hatori's face, pulling it out of the crook of her neck. She was barely able to see him, but his long bangs were wet and stuck to his face, matting up a bit. So, was that it? Was he sweating on her? Akito grimaced at his emotionless face, feeling her rage for him growing rapidly in the pit of her stomach, just staring into his dull, grey…

Suddenly, there was a drip.

A drop of liquid fell from Hatori's angular jaw down below, onto her face. She scowled, feeling it slide down her cheek. "Hatori, you make me sic-"

She stopped, her eyes adjusting to the darkness of the room finally. More drops fell from his face onto hers, and he looked confused. His bangs were matted to his cheek in… Red.

Was that blood?

Akito gasped slightly, using her hand to wipe her face, then holding it up in the light to examine it. It was. Deep red blood was all over her hand, now smeared on her cheek. Her neck was a bloodbath, covered it in while it was also pooled in her collarbone.

She grabbed his still solemn face in her hands, cupping it. Leaning in close, she shoved his bangs out of the way, thinking the source of the spillage had to be behind there. A panic was building inside her. She shoved his bangs back, smoothing them against the top of his head easily with the help of the blood. Suddenly, she nearly screamed.

Behind his bangs, Hatori's left eye was bleeding profusely. Blood was pouring out of it at an alarming, unnatural rate. Akito gasped, leaning in to get a closer look. It was pouring, dripping out all over her and all over Hatori. Upon closer inspection, Hatori's left eye was completely black. There was no iris, no white of his eye, just an empty, black hole.

Tears were forming as Akito wildly looked around, trying to call for help, but she suddenly couldn't scream anymore. Her words were silent, even as she strained to call for a housemaid to help her wounded dragon.

Hatori kept his eye trained on her, watching Akito flail about. When Akito realized Hatori wasn't responding at all, she suddenly stopped her wild attempt to get help to study him. A feeling of dread was building in her stomach. Why wasn't he reacting to horrific amount of blood pouring from him?

Slowly, painfully slow, a grin started to form on the doctor's lips. Akito felt her stomach sink, her heart jump into her throat. She had never seen him smile like that. It was frightening, unnerving. She felt sick.

Hatori leaned in closer, his empty, black eye boring into her. At a deathly whisper, he said to her gleefully, "Tomorrow, Akito, you're going to die."

Akito shrieked. With all the might she muster, she shoved Hatori off of her. She was covered in his blood and as she frantically searched for her robe to cover herself up and run, she could hear him laughing. The sound was like nails on a chalkboard. Akito had known Hatori her entire life and she had never heard him laugh. It was sickening.

As she found her robe on the floor next to her bed, she bent down in a panic and shoved it on, then suddenly… Silence. There was no more laughter. She froze, terrified.

Slowly, Akito began turn, afraid. She didn't want to see Hatori. Was he silently standing behind her now? What would he do? She turned, ever so slowly…

She nearly screamed again as she suddenly came face to face with…

"What's wrong?" The voice asked softly, looking into Akito's eyes. The man sighed softly, raising a hand up to stroke her cheek. "What's gotten into you? Did I do something wrong?" The man asked gently, moving to run his hand through his hair. His dark auburn hair.

Akito froze again, looking into dark red eyes. "… Kureno?" She finally whimpered, looking around violently for Hatori. Where did the dragon go? Looking down at her hands, she realized the blood was gone. There was no blood on her bed either. What was happening?

Nearly diving towards him, she clung to Kureno and started sobbing. She didn't understand. Why was she hallucinating such horrific things? Feeling him stroke her back was helping her relax, however. Had Akito not been in such a vulnerable position, she would never have clung to him like a child like this. "Oh, Kureno, I saw the most horrific thing, I can't even describe it. Hatori was…" Akito sniffled, hiding her face in Kureno's neck.

"Ha'ri was what?" A cheerful voice asked, no longer rubbing the tiny god's back.

Akito froze. That wasn't Kureno's voice.

"Ha'ri does a lot of nonsensical things. Anyway, what we should be talking about is this robe. Out of all the colored yukatas I have made you, you choose to wear this red one every single day. Truly, I think you would look magnificent in a royal purple robe! Our very god is royalty, you know, you really should wear more color."

Slowly, Akito pulled away and looked up, knowing exactly what she would find. Her entire body was shaking as she pulled back and looked right up into golden eyes, long silver hair wrapped around both of them.

"A-… Ayame?" Akito breathed, looking up at the snake with tears in her eyes.

"Yes, love?" The snake sung brightly, flipping a bit of hair over his shoulder with an award-winning grin. He chuckled, looking down at the bewildered little god in his lap.

Akito screamed, suddenly beginning to kick and claw, doing everything she could to get away from Ayame. She was sobbing, crying, begging to understand what was happening. She felt two rough hands grab her shoulders and push her back onto the bed. Closing her eyes, she was crying out and sobbing, struggling to get away.

Akito couldn't take anymore, she didn't like this. How could she be hallucinating this badly?

She forced herself to open her eyes and she seethed, it wasn't nighttime anymore. The moonlight was replaced by sunlight peeking in through the windows.

Gasping for air, she looked up and saw… Hatori. His rough hands were holding her down onto her bed and his face was inches from hers. Once the god stilled, he pulled away, sighing. The little god had nearly ripped all of her tubbing and IVs out during her thrashing. He was a bit annoyed that he would have to reinsert everything later.

"Akito, calm down. You were having a nightmare. I was attempting to monitor your heart rate when you suddenly started screaming and wildly rolling around. You nearly gave the housemaids a heart attack." He sighed, standing up straight and pinching the bridge of his nose.

Akito panted, wildly looking around for a few moments. So… It was only a dream? Frowning, her chest rose and fell as she took deep breaths to calm herself. She waved her hand, beckoning Hatori close.

Keeping his knees straight, Hatori bent at his waist down to her eye level. He was a bit taken aback when Akito grabbed his face, shoving his bangs back. She studied his left eye closely for a few moments, making him shift uncomfortably. After awhile, she let go of him, seemingly satisfied.

Hatori didn't question the action. He was sure he would get scolded if he did. Finally, he spoke.

"You slept soundly through the night. Today… Today is the day, Akito. Everyone is here, they are all gathered in the banquet hall." He said softly, reaching up to fix his hair back into place. "As with your father, I will bring them in one by one. Do you understand, Akito?"

The god frowned, giving a very small nod as she looked over out the window, still trying to calm down.

"Start sending the fools in, then."


	3. Chapter 3 (Ayame)

The banquet hall used for the yearly New Years banquet was filled to the brim with noisy zodiac members and housemaids. Butlers fluttered around the room, offering alcohol and food to the Sohma family members gathered around. Most of them were off in pairs, discussing their day or how their lives had been going. Despite it being the reason everyone was summoned here, no one dared utter a word about Akito. That topic was forbidden.

Off to the side was Kureno, idly sipping at his champagne. The tall flute was clasped in his hand, and he kept his eyes lowered. The redhead wasn't particularly interested in speaking with any of the family members, in fact, he wasn't particularly close with any of them. Upon hearing the news of Akito's health, Kureno found himself feeling quite lost and quite… Saddened. After Shigure left, Kureno dutifully took his place as Akito's lap dog. Kureno held no romantic feelings for Akito, despite sleeping with her a few times in the past. Their intimacy was only spurred on by Akito to prove to herself that was in fact a woman, and did indeed have feminine charm about her. It was a game to the god, seeing if she could still seduce men despite her masculine appearance. Every time she slept with Kureno, it was like she won the game and immediately held no interest for him the second their love making was finished. Akito used it to as tactic to keep Kureno close to her as well. Even if his curse was broken, he was still indebted to her. At least, that's what Akito thought.

Kureno felt a bit used, but he remained loyal. Akito was important to him either way, and he had been watching her health deteriorate at an alarming rate. The bird questioned Hatori often, but the solemn doctor always gave the same response- this was how it had to be. Akito could not be saved, and Kureno knew this to be true. He watched Akira die the same way. That image had always stayed with him.

He was interrupted from his quiet reflecting when a loud voice and unmistakable energy was suddenly next to him.

"Dear Kureno! You look positively pale," The smooth voice cooed, bending down a bit to catch the rooster's gaze. A cheeky smile was plastered across his lips, and it made Kureno uneasy. How could he smile like that at a time like this?

"Hello Ayame." Kureno sighed softly, setting his champagne flute down on the clothed table behind him. "I suppose I'm a little worse for wear now, truthfully. I didn't sleep very well last night."

"Ah." Ayame answered, his demeanor calming down a bit. His grin faded to a small smile and he nodded ever so slightly, suddenly understanding. "You were particularly close to her, weren't you?" Ayame asked, not even realizing that he was speaking about Akito in past-tense already.

Kureno nodded, his hand reaching up to rub the back of his neck. "I have been by her side for awhile now, Hatori and I. He keeps her physically well, and I… Well, I'm her emotional punching bag. I try my best to keep her well mentally."

"This must be hard on you." Ayame said, the smile officially fading as Kureno spoke. The snake's voice had dropped to a whisper now, and he took a step closer to the redhead. "Have you spoken to Ritsu about this? I know you two are close and he-"

"He's not here yet, I'm sure he will be soon. Ritsu… Ritsu is quite afraid of Akito. I try to avoid discussing god with him, as it tends to agitate his anxiety." Kureno answered, shifting uncomfortably. He didn't like this conversation. Ayame was being polite, but Kureno and Ayame were never particularly close, and he wasn't planning on suddenly being the snake's best friend now that Akito was passing. Speaking of, Kureno began wondering why Ayame approached him in the first place. Not too long ago, Kureno spotted Ayame bothering his own little brother Yuki, but there was a certain zodiac member that Ayame always kept by his side, who seemed to be absent. A certain dog, who, out of the entire family, would be the most upset about this event… Why was Shigure not here? Shaking the thought off, Kureno almost sighed out of relief when he saw Hatori approaching them.

Hatori walked over and placed his hand on Ayame's shoulder, giving him a bit of a stern look. "Ayame, are you bothering Kureno?"

"Hm-mm." Ayame hummed quietly, shaking his head no. "I was just seeing how he was doing with all the chaos going on. I promise I wasn't bothering him, Ha'ri."

"Good," Hatori sighed, glancing over at Kureno. "Ayame, I'd like you to come with me." The dragon said softly, giving a polite nod to Kureno before turning and leading Ayame out of the banquet hall.

Soon, the two friends were walking down a dark hallway, with silence wrapped uncomfortably around them. It wasn't often that Ayame wasn't prattling on, so Hatori knew Ayame must have understood the importance of today.

As they walked, Ayame folded his hands together in front of him, not wanting to hold eye contact with Hatori for too long. "You know, Ha'ri, I noticed that Shigure wasn't-"

"Not now, Aya." Hatori sighed, frustrated. He continued walking, leading Ayame along. "Shigure will be notified in due time. I have yet to give him the call. You… You know how hard he is going to take this. I want to handle this with as much tact as I can. We have to be very… Careful with him right now." Hatori mumbled, shoving his hand into his pocket as they came to their destination.

Ayame nodded, understanding. His hand reached up and grasped at his chest, feeling sick at the thought of how much pain Shigure was going to be in when he found out about Akito. Akito was going to die today. Hatori had very little time left, and this needed to be handled delicately. Deciding not to dwell and further upset Hatori, Ayame gave Hatori a sad smile. "You look like hell, my little dragon." He said kindly, reaching up to stroke Hatori's long bangs.

Hatori scoffed quietly, pulling away from the affection. "We'll see how good you look on three hours of sleep a night." He muttered, glancing away from his friend. It was true. Hatori looked like hell, and he felt like it, too. Sighing, he knew they needed to get to the matter at hand. "Ayame, I picked you to be the first one to tell Akito goodbye. I will give you two some privacy, but I will be outside the door, in case she grows violent. Please be kind, and please don't dawdle." He instructed, taking a step aside so Ayame could see the door to Akito's room. After all, Hatori needed to bring all the zodiac members in here one by one, so they all could tell god goodbye, and he didn't have all day. Akito was very sick, she was going to die today, and she didn't have much time left.

Ayame studied Hatori for moment, before sighing. "Understood, Doctor Sohma." He said playfully, giving his friend a smile and a pat on the shoulder, before turning to enter the god's room.

Ayame gasped softly as he came face to face with Akito, laying limply in her bed. Ayame hadn't come to visit her in a month or so, and the god looked… Terrible. So sickly. Ayame felt his heart ache for the frail little god in the bed. She was drowning in medical tubes. However, Ayame didn't let it phase him. He put on his best, whimsical smile and trotted over to Akito's bedside.

Akito simply glared at the snake, not amused. "Ah, so Hatori has chosen you to be first one to watch me die miserably? Truly, Hatori wishes to put me in an early grave." She spat, not pleased with Hatori's choice.

Ayame grinned a bit wider. "You're displeased with my presence? Why, Akito, my love, you're in luck! I am not only excellent company, but I have also brought you a gift! Now, hold on just a moment, my dear." Ayame turned around a few times, looking for a chair. Finding a small chair in the corner, possibly where Hatori would stayed posted during the night, he dragged it over to Akito's bedside and sat down, beaming.

"… A gift?" Akito asked warily, her eyebrow raising ever so slightly in curiosity.

"Ah, I've peaked your interest." Ayame smirked, reaching down into the pocket of his winter coat. After digging around for awhile, he produced a small bottle of nail polish in his hand. It was a bright rouge color.

Akito had actually been excited about the present, however now staring down at the girlish item in his hand, the god glared at it. "No."

"Oh, come now, my love! It'll be a wonderful farewell as you pass on, having brightly colored nails as a final sign of your femininity. You haven't particularly embraced your womanhood, so why not seize the chance in your last few moments?" Ayame beamed, holding the bottle out to her and waving it around enticingly. "…I'll paint them for you." He sung, unable to stop the smile on his face from spreading wider.

That sealed the deal for Akito. Her scowl turned into a frown, and then she sighed quietly. "… Fine, get on with it, then." Akito grumbled, holding her hand out to him stubbornly.

Ayame clapped joyously a few times, before pulling the chair closer and laying her hand on his knee. Ever so carefully, he unscrewed the bottle and began gently swiping the bright red color onto her nails. He noted that she was attempting to remain cold and distant about the whole endeavor, but Ayame caught her peeking over every once in awhile. Maybe this ordeal wasn't that torturous for her after all. He smiled to himself, continuing to stroke the polish onto her nails.

"You know," Ayame said softly, his voice receding into a much calmer tone. "I chose the color red for a few reasons. First of all, I happen to know it's your favorite color, as you always request your clothing to be red when it's time for me to sew you your new yukatas every year." The snake said, his voice idle sounding as he concentrated closely on painting her nails. The conversation wasn't idle, however, Ayame was speaking to Akito with sentiment. "You have always asked me for red. Always."

* * *

"What the hell is this?!" Akito snapped, throwing a mess of fabric onto the floor. The god stomped on it in defiance, though her little foot didn't actually cause harm to the royal purple yukata at her feet.

Ayame frowned, his hand slipping under his chin to try and hide how crestfallen he felt over Akito insulting his work. "… Alright, well, can you tell me what is wrong with it?" He asked gently, his usual flare absent from his tone.

"First of all, snake, the color is atrocious. I hate purple. It's a hideous, feminine color and I-"

"Actually, purple is a unisex color." Ayame interjected, interrupting her without a second thought. "For your information, I chose purple because I thought it would look lovely on your skin tone. Even more so, purple is the color of royalty! Kings have always been adorned in purple velvet. You are our god, you are our king for all intensive purposes. I thought it would be only fitting to-"

"Shut up!" Akito snapped, her hands balling at her sides. She walked over to his rack of clothes, beginning to rummage through it. Ayame frowned and reached out for her, not wanting her to roughly handle his clothes like that. He worked very hard on this set of outfits for her, pricking his fingers constantly and staying up until the early morning hours. Now, here she was, ruining all of his hard work. Ayame wasn't surprised, however, as they went through this every year. Every spring, he was assigned the objective of making Akito a new wardrobe. Every spring, he'd stop by with a rack full of beautiful clothes, she would hate all of them, and he'd have to once again, sew her a plain red yukata with a bit of flower print along the edges. It was the same design year after year, he was so tired of making it for her. Ayame wanted Akito in gorgeous clothing, clothing that could show off her feminine side. This never came to fruition, however.

"This is hideous… And this! God, who would wear this? Who would give you money for these?! This looks like shit, and so does this!" Akito roared, peeling through the clothes in a rage. Finally, the god shoved the entire rack over, and it came crashing to the ground with a loud clang.

In an instant, Ayame was on his knees next to the rack, quickly trying to save the clothes he poured hours of work into. He didn't dare speak another word, but he'd be damned if he let her rip or harm any of his work. Ayame stopped only when he felt a tug at his hair.

Suddenly, the tug turned into a sharp jerk. Akito's hand had shot forward into Ayame's long, beautiful, silver hair. With a few twists of her wrist, Ayame's hair was wrapped around her tiny fist, all the way to the root. Ayame felt tears sting his eyes, and he let out a small gasp at the pain.

Akito jerked her hand again, hearing Ayame yelp, then whimper. "Did you hear me? Why do we have to have the same conversation every year, you goddamn fop? Red! I like red! These purples, these blues… They sicken me! You sicken me! I swear, I should just have that little shop of yours shut down and I-"

"Akito." Hatori snapped, his usually lax features actually looking angry, for once. His tone was agitated as well. Looking down, Hatori saw his friend in tears, trying to pull away from Akito's grasp. The god had a chunk of Ayame's hair in her fist, pulling it. In a flash, Hatori snatched Akito's wrist and began untangling the silver hair from her tiny fingers. Of course, Hatori had been waiting outside the door during Akito and Ayame's consultation. Thank god he had been, otherwise this could have escalated. He entered when he heard Akito's yelling.

As soon as Ayame was free, Hatori bent down and immediately began examining Ayame's head, checking for bleeding or bruises. The snake laid down on his side, in pain and traumatized. He whimpered softly, so thankful to see Hatori.

Akito glared down at Hatori, feeling furious. How dare Hatori intervene! Her thought process was cut off, however, when she felt a pair of hands grab her arms and began pulling her out of the room. She kicked and screamed, looking up just in time to see that it was Kureno who was removing her from the room. It wasn't long before Kureno had the tantrum throwing god down the hall, away from Ayame.

Hatori checked Ayame everywhere for any wounds. Next to the snake and his knocked over rack of clothes was a chunk of silver hairs Akito had managed to rip out. It left Hatori speechless. He finished his work quietly, bandaging Ayame's scalp, and then driving the traumatized snake home.

That night, Ayame was up until the sun rose, working on five identical plain, red yukatas.

* * *

"Red is also the color of passion, and fire." Ayame smiled, glancing up at the god for a brief moment, before continuing to paint her fingernails. "I've always liked that about you, Akito. You are passionate. You aren't afraid to lash out, express yourself. You know what you want, and you take it. You burn like a flame, a bright white flame. I admire that about you." He said softly, taking a moment to gently stroke his thumb down her bony knuckles affectionately. "… I only wish you'd just let me dress you in cute clothing."

Akito glanced over at Ayame, her eyes widening as bit as Ayame praised her. She hadn't heard a compliment like that before. No one ever called her passionate, they called her temperamental. Instead of being certain of what she wanted, Akito was always told that she was too picky. What was this feeling? "Yes, well, fire burns, you know. Fire consumes all. Leaving nothing but smoke and ash behind. I am fire, but that should not be a compliment." The god muttered, glaring at Ayame for the final little comment the snake made about 'cute' clothing.

Ayame simply smiled, nodding. "I suppose fire can do that, if it burns for too long. I wonder, my dear, how long have you been ablaze inside?" Ayame asked finally, finishing her left hand and looking up at her. His smile faded.

Akito looked over again, understanding the weight of his question. Ayame was asking her how long she'd felt hurt inside, how long the raging fire of agony and self loathing had been burning inside her. Akito was quiet for a long time, before finally answering. "Awhile." She whispered, rolling onto her side and extending her other hand to him sheepishly, so he could finish.

Ayame took her hand, looking down at it, studying it. Wordlessly, he slipped her hand onto his knee again and painted this hand silently, enjoying this peaceful moment with Akito. For the first time, Ayame thought they understood each other. He had never experienced Akito being calm like this. It was soothing. Despite being sick, Ayame thought Akito looked beautiful in her hospital bed like that. He remained silent, painting her nails as this time, Akito watched closely, admiring the snake's skill.

Finishing the job, Ayame smiled and sat back. "All done. Tell me what you think."

Akito frowned a bit, feeling a bit saddened that it was over. It was actually… Soothing, the way the snake held her hand so carefully, taking great care in painting her nails. She sighed and held her hands up weakly, studying the nail polish closely. Akito had never painted her nails before, this was completely foreign to her… However, she liked it. A ghost of a smile appeared at the corner of her mouth, but only for a moment. "It's fine." She muttered, laying her hands carefully back down onto the bed.

Ayame nodded and slipped the bottle back into his pocket, going quiet again. There weren't any words spoken between them for awhile, and Ayame knew he needed to leave soon. Standing up, Ayame reach down and grabbed her hand, knowing the nail polish was dry by now.

Ever so gently, he closed his eyes and pressed his lips to the back of her hand, holding it close. "You've been in a lot of pain, for such a long time now, Akito. That fire that burned so brightly inside of you is fading. I can see it still barely flickering inside you. I pray that with the flame finally dying down, you will finally find peace." He whispered against her skin, pressing his forehead to the back of her hand. After a moment, he pulled away and offered Akito one last honest smile, before departing the room.


End file.
